NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program

Online contact form
800.221.9393

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) provides loan repayment assistance for medical, nursing, and behavioral/mental health clinicians with specific training and credentials to provide evidence-based substance use disorder (SUD) treatment in rural communities designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).

Fact sheet

To be eligible, applicants must:

1. Be a U.S. citizen (either U.S. born or naturalized) or U.S. National
2. Fully trained and licensed to practice in the discipline and state
3. A provider (or eligible to participate as a provider) in Medicare, Medicaid, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, as appropriate
4. Be employed by, or have accepted a position at, a rural NHSC-approved SUD treatment facility by the application deadline

Disciplines include:

• Allopathic/osteopathic physicians
• Physician assistants
• Psychiatrists
• Nurse practitioners
• Certified nurse-midwives
• Psychiatric nurse specialists
• Health service psychologists
• Licensed clinical social workers
• Marriage and family therapists
• Licensed professional counselors
• SUD counselors
• Pharmacists
• Registered nurses
• Certified registered nurse anesthetists

Priority will be given to applicants who:

• Serve at an Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Consortium Member facility
• Have specialized training to provide SUD treatment (for example: Licensure or certification)
• Have a license or certification in substance use disorder interventions, such as master's-level substance use disorder counselors

Up to $100,000 for 3 years of full-time clinical practice at an NHSC-approved SUD treatment facility that is located in a Mental Health or Primary Medical Care HPSA and up to $50,000 for 3 years of half-time clinical practice.

A one-time award enhancement of up to $5,000 for clinicians who demonstrate Spanish-language proficiency through a competency assessment is also available.

Links to the application instructions and the online application portal are available on the program website.

Webinars:
(Registration required)

• Applicant webinar
  February 18, 2026
  2:00 - 3:30 p.m. Eastern
  
• Q&A session #1 (drop in)
  February 26, 2026
  1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Eastern
  
• Q&A session #2 (drop in)
  March 4, 2026
  10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Eastern
  
• Q&A session #3 (drop in)
  March 12, 2026
  1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Eastern
  
• Q&A session #4 (drop in)
  March 25, 2026
  10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Eastern
  
• Q&A session #5 (drop in)
  March 30, 2026
  10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Eastern